1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a valve with a displaceable actuating element that controls the movements of at least one actual sealing element for opening and/or closing at least one sealing contour; and the actuating element is loaded via an elastic element essentially perpendicularly relative to the direction of deflection; and the longitudinal axis of the actuating element and the force applied via the elastic element are aligned in a position of the actuating element that is between its two extreme positions.
2. The Prior Art
In many kinds of valves, the sealing element or an actuating element moving this sealing element is preloaded in one of the two directions via, for example, elastic elements. This preload can, if necessary, also be effected by way of the forces that are generated during the deflection of the sealing or actuating element. But, most of the time, this also has a disadvantageous influence on the switching dynamics of the valve at least in one direction, and much operating energy input of the valve is required in order to overcome the preload.
On the other hand, also known in the art are valve constructions in which, due to the geometry of the sealing or actuating element—if necessary, with the assistance of at least one spring element, the two end positions are stabilized by way of a preload, while it is necessary to overcome the force of an elastic element for the switching action and, after passing through the first section of the total deflection range, the elastic element supports the further switching action. DE 197 20 849 A1 describes a valve of this kind that envisions two actuators for the switching action acting upon the support member for the actual sealing element.
The object of the invention is to provide a valve with a minimal actuating force, i.e., a valve that can be switched applying minimal currents, which is characterized by its small construction size while still providing very high sealing force accompanied by the best possible switching dynamics.